Told exclusively through home-video footage and personal stories of soldiers and their loved ones, Witness: G.I. Homecoming reveals the emotional stories behind some of the most memorable and highest-viewed surprise reunion videos as told by the men and women whose sacrifices made them happen.

Since 9/11, more than two million American service people have deployed overseas. For many military families, the almost unbearable strain makes the moment they’re finally reunited that much sweeter. Increasingly, these moments are being captured on tape, often by the serviceperson and a complicit friend or family member, giving rise to a whole new YouTube genre: the surprise soldier homecoming video. Witness: G.I. Homecoming reveals the stories behind these emotional videos, creating a powerful portrait of America’s home front, circa 2012. Each segment weaves one such video together with interviews, other home movies, and war zone footage shot by the soldiers themselves, telling the story of the family’s journey up to the moment of their unforgettable reunion. Poignant, dramatic, tearful, and joyous, Witness: G.I. Homecoming will serve as an enduring tribute to the resilience of America’s military families.